Fang's Sister
by JaylaAngel
Summary: Sequel to Maximum Ride's Brother! Continuing their collaborated adventure to save the world and learn the secrets of their origins and gifts. Follows more of Fang and his sister. Traveling overseas to save two beings that could make or break this double-edged sword of a team. Rated T for some fluff and violence. Fax & Catt (my own ship). Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey fellow weirdos! How goes it? I know I've been gone a while and my previous story; Maximum Ride's Brother, is probably long forgotten in your memories. I had to re-read it myself to remember some things, but I'm back! I know I entered a preview of what I thought was the direction I wanted this fanfiction to go, but I was wrong.**_

 _ **So please disregard that teaser chapter because this story literally has nothing to do with that and we will continue on with the stories of Max's Flock, the OG's! and Matt's flock as the fight together to save the world.**_

 _ **This sequel story is called Fang's Sister because yes, we will be focusing more on Fang and Crow's lineage and why these two seem to have the darkest histories and personalities. Yes, I am a supernatural fan so there will be some of that. So if that's not what you're into, I take no offense but this story may not be for you.**_ __ __

 _ **As always, thank you for reading my stories and thanks to those of you who have encouraged me to keep writing! Enjoy!**_

 _ **The first chapter will be uploaded soon I promise! I'm just working a lot lately. Living on your own is actually super time consuming and hard, but the freedom is nice! I totally recommend this to everyone! See y'all again soon!**_


	2. Chap 1 Reflections

_**Welcome to the first chapter of the sequel to Maximum Ride' s Brother….FANG'S SISTER! We continue on our journey as both flocks head overseas and battle an evil of which not even science can fully explain.**_

 _ **I do have to apologize in advance. I do work six days out of the week so that only leaves me with one off day to get all of my adult responsibilities done. I will try to add adding a chapter once a week to this story until it is completed!**_

 _ **I know I have been absent for a long time and I apologize. I too had to go back and read the original story, but reading all of your reviews and comments since then has lit a fire in me! I appreciate all of those who have kept their patience with me and I hope you will enjoy this continuance of this epic, fanmade tale!**_

 _ **Now, without further ado….**_

Chapter 1

 _ **Crow's POV**_

 __Flying.

There was no other feeling like it. Soaring through the wind. Commanding yourself to go against or with the breeze. With wings, your body became one with the wind and separate from everything else. The sky and ground became two distant worlds.

Clouds became the ocean and lakes of the sky. Flying through just one soaked you through and through, but the bitter cold urged one to go on under the heat of the sun.

The sky itself was its own kingdom with its own set of rules. Here, one wasn't restricted by the dictator of the ground. One could roam freely. Wherever one wanted. Whenever one wanted. With whomever one wanted.

Perhaps that why Crow only smiled when she was flying. Pure freedom.

True the very things that allowed her to have such freedom were forced upon her by madmen that now seek to take over the world. But they were _hers_. Stretched out in all their dark glory. However, if you looked close enough, even her darkest feathers glowed with a radiance only brought upon by the sun.

Perhaps, humans weren't meant to have wings. Perhaps there had been a whole other life laid out for Crow and her flock mates, but she was here now. Wings slicing through wind, creating her own path, making her own mark. And loving it.

"Care to slow down for the rest of us?" came a playful smirk from behind her.

Crow didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know who it was who had spoken to her. Matt.

Usually, you would have to shout at the top of your lungs just to communicate while flying. But he was soaring directly over her. Keeping their wings in perfect synchronization so not to upset the balance of the wind.

His voice was as crystal clear to her as if they were standing all alone on a mountain top. Which they had done before. His curly brown hair was being tossed about in the wind like a tumbleweed. It was growing to be too long that he was sure to start complaining again.

Crow sighed as she knew she was going to have to be the one to cut it. She wasn't complaining too much however. If his hair grew out too much, how was she going to look into those warm brown eyes and restrain herself from melting?

It had taken a while for the two to admit their feelings for each other. It had taken more fights and beatings than Crow would like to admit, but it was worth it.

Having him smile at her as the ocean sprayed at their faces. The glint of challenge in his eyes. It was the same old Matt he had always been. But now he was also _her_ Matt. And she was his. Together. As it should be. As it has always been.

Not just her and him, though. All of them.

"Would you fly higher? I just washed myself!" Chester shouter at Abby.

Abby who was flying close to the surface as dolphins came close and began playing with her. Her red braided hair bouncing in the wind. Her bright blue eyes wide with delight as she giggled and wove in and out of their splashes. Chester hissing on her back out of fear of getting wet…or being eaten.

"So this isn't okay then?" came a taunting cry as Beast emerged from the ocean in his own dolphin form, creating a splash that overtook Abby. Not by too much that it caused her to crash, but enough to make the grumpy cat on her back hiss in outrage.

For a single leap out of water, Beast emerged in his true form. Blonde, soaked hair clinging to his face. Tongue stuck out his mouth and his sparkling green eyes ablaze with mischief. Then he disappeared back into the deep blue depth.

"You imbecile!" he snapped at Beast.

Beast simply responded with a mimic of dolphin chatter and then dived into the ocean below.

It was a small flock, but it had always been just them. Matt being the courageous leader with Crow always at his side. Abby; who made sure they were always in the know with the world. Beast; the clown who always made everyone smile. And Chester; the talking cat that had weaseled his way into all of their hearts….somehow.

"I thought you wanted to get there by sundown!" Crow said in response to Matt's remark.

If possible, Matt's smirk became even wider and a little menacing. Not in an evil way. He surely had that side to him, but this Matt…this was the real Matt.

"Are you challenging your fearless leader?" he asked.

Crow's lips turned up into the evil grin that took hold whenever any challenge lay before her.

"Don't I always?" she smirked.

In one brilliant stroke, she dove off to the surface breaking off from her synchronizing flying with Matt and zooming on ahead. She laughed as she did so. Something she didn't do very often, but the look of surprise on Matt's face was too much for her to hold in. And of course, the intense feeling of flying top notch also released all of the butterflies in her stomach.

A shadow passed over her. Matt. A challenge to a flight race was not something he took lightly. His tethered face had wiped away all traces of kidding aside and was replaced by a serious scowl. He hated losing.

That's one thing they had in common.

Crow pushed herself forward, creating a ring of water to wrap around Matt and splash his face. She laughed at his frustrated scowl and continued to push herself higher into the sky. The entire time Matt was right on her tail and whenever he got too close, she would circle away or dive back to the ocean.

After a couple of minutes, it all became a game to everyone. Abby joined in as Chester griped and moaned about the water. Beast continued to dive in and out in various sea creature forms, splashing them all.

The sun was shining brilliantly today, despite all of the clouds in the sky. The rays caused everyone's image to reflect perfectly in the water…until Beast broke the surface causing the images to contort and ripple.

Crow hadn't really noticed that until she got close enough to see her own face. Her short, black hair battering around her face. She looked a lot more tired than she felt in the moment. The bags under eyes were almost as big as the grin on her face. Her wings cast the longest shadow over the water.

It had been a while since she had gotten a good look at them. Better yet, with her and them. They don't make many mirrors large enough to capture a scrawny girl and her eighteen foot wing span.

Heh. Why was she wearing all black, too? She had always looked good in dark colors, but today…at this moment…all black? Black jeans, a black shirt covered by a black leather jacket. It had never really occurred to her just how dark and ominous her physical appearance was.

Just like that thing. With its black and oily tentacles as it wreaked havoc in the valley. Destroying everything. It still sent shivers down her spine.

But the water…with the sun shining upon it. It was so bright. So beautiful. Nothing that dark could surely be here. Not at this moment when she was so happy. So free. So at peace.

Crow reached out and dipped the tip of her finger into the salty sea. As she did, her image sliced in half, causing her reflection to ripple throughout the water. Making her dark image become a dark blur. Soon the blue overtook the dark and she brought her finger out of the water again.

Her reflection settled once more. She prepared herself to see her overly dark image. It brought a smile to her face. The others were sweating in the heat, but here she was in all black without a bead of perspiration.

A holler and the sound of splashing water snapped her attention away to Beast who was still torturing poor Chester with water. Abby was doing her best to keep the two from ripping each other apart, but Crow knew there was only one way to calm those two.

She prepared herself to swoop into and play Mama Crow, but something caught her attention on the waters surface. Not movement. Rather, lack thereof.

As her body was repositioning itself (and she knew it was because it was her body!) her reflection remained completely still in the water. Smiling. Her dark hair completely still around her face. Her wings outstretched behind her, but not moving in the air as they really were.

Just as she paused to get a better look, her reflection reached out, breaking the surface of the water and grabbed one of Crow's wings. The force of the grab was so strong it stopped Crow in midflight and brought her thrashing beneath the waves.

She screamed. Or at least, she think she screamed. Her mouth was open so salty ocean water came flooding through. Her back was to the depths below so she was facing the surface. The sun was high in the sky, but becoming further and further from her.

The heat that had only moments ago warmed her entire body was now washed away by cold and icy water. Her reflection was nowhere to be seen. Whatever had grabbed onto her wing was no longer there, but she still couldn't move.

She could only sink and watch the surface become further and further away.

Had the others seen her crash? She had been ahead of them, surely someone must have seen. They had all been too busy playing fly-tag though.

If only she could call out to them. Matt…Abby…Beast…Chester….was this the end? Her end? How? She had just been flying? Flying was second nature to her! Like breathing and blinking! How? How could this be happening? How could this be real?

 _"Look at the fear in those eyes…"_

Huh? A voice? Underwater? How?

Crow swiveled her head around. It seemed to be the only part of her she could still move. She could see nothing but darkness behind her and fleeting light ahead of her.

Wait! Something there! In the shadows of the water! A figure! No! Yes! Something was definitely there! It had to have been the thing that had pulled her under!

 _What are you?_ Crow wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but her lungs were tightening on her even now.

The thing…whatever it was, flitted closer. It didn't move or even swim. With every blink Crow made, the thing got closer and closer until Crow could see distinct features.

Long dark hair that flowed around the creature. Dark eyes that made Crow's very own seem like stars. It was hard to make out the rest of the thing as it seemed to be enveloped in the darkness Crow was sinking into.

 _"Why so frightened? All things must die, Crow."_

It talked?! Without moving its mouth?! What the hell?! And it knew her name!

 _How do you know me?!_ God, Crow just wanted to scream right now. No…Crow just wanted to be back flying above the ocean with the others.

The others! Had they really not seen her go under? She had been right next to them! Beast…Abby…Matt…

 _"What? Is that it? What you're afraid of!"_ the thing cackled as it flitted directly in front of Crow.

If Crow could gasp, she would have. The thing…her reflection…somehow…it was her! They say if you saw yourself in person you wouldn't even know, but that's bullshit. Crow knew damn well what she looked like. She'd recognize that scar right above her lip that that psycho Artemis gave her!

The thing fixated its black eyes on Crow and Crow wanted to scream. The thing—her reflection, didn't have eyes! They were like two empty spaces where eyes should be!

And yet, Crow just knew that this thing could see. See her, to be exact. See everything.

 _"You're afraid of the same thing you've always been afraid of!"_

 _Shut up._ Crow thought. _Shut up and leave me alone!_

A broken smile broke out across its face. It was more like someone had taken a blade and cut through fabric the way the thing opened its face up. Again, revealing an empty space where a certain facial feature should be.

 _What are you?!_ Crow screamed desperately in her thoughts.

As if the thing actually heard her…it leveled its head out so to peer at her with those two black spaces. The darkness that shrouded the rest of its body now began to envelop Crow. The surface above was now but a mere spec of light that was going to be snuffed out by whatever this thing was.

This thing…that was surely going to kill Crow.

The darkness began to shroud her own vision. Or maybe her eyes were finally closing as the oxygen left her body in a single bubble of breath. Her limbs that had been tingling had long since gone numb. Her wings sunk behind her.

Then in an eerie whisper, directly into Crow's ear the thing spoke once more…

 _"I am you."_

 **Fang's POV**

Fang always carried a bad feeling with him. Even as he slept. His gut churned with the premonition that something was wrong. Even when he knew they were safe. Tucked away from prying eyes of the madmen that sought to use them all as puppets. And now whatever darkness that had been released into the world.

However, as Fang lay awake on the rooftop that the flock had found to rest in for the night, a new kind of bad feeling overtook him. It caused him to jerk straight up and a mad sweat to break out all over his body. He began to itch all over like ants were crawling all around his insides.

He wanted to scream, but the others were all asleep. How could they be able to help him? He didn't even know what was going on! He just…needed…away!

His wings responded to his inward plea and with a single snap he was soaring away from the cabin and into the cool, snowy air. His wings seem to have a mind of their own as they carried him away. His vision blurred in and out and his lungs began to feel like they were going to explode from his chest.

With a cry of frustration and pain, Fang finally collided into a snowy hillside. He felt like a human snowball as his body rolled downhill. He finally slid to a stop, but the awful feeling taking over his body still remained.

 _Get up. Keep moving._ That's what Fang told himself as he lifted himself to his feet. He halfway tumbled, half way tripped down the rest of the hillside until he finally came to rest at a frozen lake.

His body felt so hot and cold at the same time. The beads of sweat were thickening to the point that ripping off his own shirt was necessary. He tossed the sweat drenched cloth into the snow, not paying attention to where he had thrown it and then submerged himself in the snow.

What was happening? Did this have something to do with his tampered-with DNA or with the darkness that had spoken to him in the valley?

Just as he thought about it, a tremor forced its way into Fang's body making him scream again. In his own ears, Fang could hear the animalistic howl that was coming from his own mouth.

 _Somebody….help….me…._

Between ragged breaths, it was all Fang could manage to send out a small prayer. After all, real angels existed. They had helped out last time. Surely they hadn't abandoned them quite yet.

Who was he kidding? Everyone else had given up on them. Dumped all of this world-saving responsibility crap on a bunch of kids. Why would they come and help? They were probably laughing at him suffering like a rabid animal in the snow. Whoever _they_ were.

Fang slammed his fists down in the snow. But actually hit ice instead. Oh. He hadn't realized how close to the frozen lake he actually was. The ice had covered some of the muddy bank as well, and that's what Fang was writhing around in.

The full moon of the night glimmered beautifully on the frozen body of water. If Fang wasn't so busy with practically dying, he would have appreciated the scenery more. The mountains and nature all around.

In the blue light of the moon, Fang glimpsed his cracked reflection. The jagged ice resembled that of broken mirror shards. Causing Fang's reflection to be distorted.

Wait…not Fang. Last Fang checked he had ripped off his shirt. This…person was still in their shirt— _her_ shirt! Crow! Crow was under the ice! How—when did she—No! None of that mattered now!

Crow was in trouble!

Fang yelled and cried out for her as he tried to break the ice with his own fists. When that didn't seem to have any effect he frantically searched the snow covered bank until he found a big enough rock to penetrate the ice.

With a final yell of desperation, he broke through and dove in without second thought. He reached out in the dark water, preparing to grab Crow, but when he reached out…there was nothing. Nothing but the freezing cold, pitch black water.

Pitch black. Like the darkness. And Fang had freely submerged himself into it.

But he had been so sure he had seen Crow. It had been her. She had been right here. Drowning…hadn't she? Or was it now him who was trapped beneath the icy surface?

Fang turned his attention back up to the surface. It all looked the same! Ice everywhere! No sign of the entry he had made with the rock! Shit!

He swam as fast as he could to the surface and began feeling for where he had entered. The cold water was already nipping at his bare chest. His lungs were beginning to squeeze in his chest. He wasn't sweating or itching anymore…but that's because he knew his body was beginning to freeze.

Hypothermia. One of the leading causes of death for one out in the cold all alone. He had read that somewhere online on his laptop on of the many road trips with the flock.

The flock…Angel, Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy…Max…they had all been asleep when he had taken off. They had all been asleep when he had snuck up to the rooftop.

All of the crap they had just went through…they needed rest. Especially Max, so Fang wasn't mad at any of them. Just at himself for doing something so stupid and reckless. Still, he wanted to see her fierce glare breaking through the ice as she dove in to save him. Or just one of their faces at this moment would be enough.

 _"This one is afraid of the same thing as the other!"_

Huh? A voice? Coming from where? Is it the same voice Max has been claiming to hear? Not that Fang didn't believe her, but it was still something that was a little hard to comprehend.

He was getting a searing headache she appeared to get though. This voice sounded like it was someone standing right next to him. Underwater though? Not an okay sign.

Fang moved his gaze around the eerie lake but saw nothing. Nothing but pitch black and cold.

 _"Sh! We mustn't tamper with this one just yet!"_

 _"I didn't beckon him here! He appeared on his own!"_

 _"Well send him back! We have the other one!"_

Two different voices? But where? Who?

 _"Sh,"_ the voices seemed to be speaking directly to him now. _"Rest now. Your time will come."_

The darkness began to shroud his own vision. Or maybe his eyes were finally closing as the oxygen left his body in a single bubble of breath. His limbs that had been tingling had long since gone numb. His wings, like fifty pound weights sunk behind him. His wings became anchors, dragging him further into the depths of the lake.

He could hear the voices begin to panic as his whole body went lax. He could tell because it was becoming harder and harder to even keep his eyes open.

And the last thing he would ever see…the full moon glimmering like a false hope through the distorted ice.

 _Someone….please…help…_


	3. Chap 2 Secrets

_**Hello! So I missed last week but I have a great reason! Can't tell you because it's personal but it's a good reason! So, I bring you the second chapter this week! On a Wednesday! As promised!**_

 _ **Let's do a little recap of the first chapter! So, we reintroduce ourselves to both flocks. We all know the OG's; Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel. Our new flock; Matt (Max's brother), Crow (Fang's sister), Abby, Beast and Chester.**_

 _ **I'm not sure I was clear about it or just in case you haven't read the prequel to this story, so I'll just go over Matt's Flock's powers. Matt is super strong and a super-fast flyer. Also the leader of his flock. Crow is second-in-command and Matt's girlfriend. Her ability is teleporting and being sassy. Abby has the power to control people through touch. Beast can transform into any existing creature and also change up his own physical appearance. Chester is just a talking cat with an extreme attitude and advanced knowledge of classical music.**_

 _ **There are two others that I haven't introduced yet, but they'll be showcased soon. So enjoy! And please review! I love you all!**_

Chapter 1

 _ **Crow's POV**_

 __The thing…it had ahold of her without even touching her. Water was getting darker and the surface was becoming nothing but a spec of light. The thing…with her face….it began laughing at her.

As she struggled with all her fading strength, the thing began warping into familiar faces. Abby. Then Beast. Even Chester (which was more horrifying than one would think). It was even Matt for a second or two. It went through all of Matt's little sister's group. All the way to their talking dog. And finally, it landed on Fang.

Crow's alleged little brother. They were spitting images of each other. If it wasn't for his square jaw line and longer hair…she almost thought she was staring at herself again.

The thing using Fang's face, made a hideous grin and let out a vicious cackle.

 _"Even if you die….we'll just use him!"_

Use Fang? For what? She dies? She didn't like the sound of any of it! Especially the part about her dying. Definitely not on her to-do list.

But seeing Fang's face…and hearing this thing say what it did…she had just accepted him as her brother! She had just accepted the responsibility of neglecting him in that awful place! Now another monster was using him to _taunt her!_ Not on her watch!

She reached out to the thing (still with Fang's face) and clenched her hand around its throat. It made no change in its maniacal facial expression. It did however look her directly in the eye.

 _Torture me all you want, but I will never,_ _ **ever**_ _let you harm him! Or anyone else!_

She wanted to sound strong. She believed she did. It was hard to when know for sure when communicating through thoughts. It was weird actually. But it's not like she could open up her mouth!

 _"So…you agree to our terms then?"_

 _What? What terms?_

The thing swiveled around her. Becoming as solid as the water she was drowning in and relieving itself from her grasp. She knew she hadn't really had a hold on it, but it still creeped her out.

Then it's dark tendrils caressed her from behind and its eerie voice whispered in her ear.

 _"You are your brother are very strong, though not equal in strength, Crow."_

When it used her name, it sent shivers down her spine. Heh. Which was funny because this water was freezing cold.

 _Spare the pep talk. Tell me what you want._

 _"You feel guilty about leaving him in that awful place, don't you? You abandoned him, Crow. The horrible torture they inflicted on you was twice as much for him."_

 _Stop it! Stop it! Just tell me what you want!_

 _"You want to protect him, don't you Crow? Make up for the past?"_

She gave up on trying to pry the information out of the thing. Its words had struck a nerve and plus the little oxygen she had remaining in her body was reaching critical levels. It was taking all of her strength to just not pass out. But maybe if she did this thing would leave her alone.

 _"Do our bidding and we promise no harm will come to him. We will protect him so that no harm shall ever come to him."_

No harm? Ever? That sounded nice.

 _"Don't you want that, Crow? For the brother you left. Do you want him to be safe? Never to know pain again. Never to feel the harsh touch of the world again. Agree to help us and we will do this for you."_

 _For all of them, then. Everyone I love. I want them all protected._

 _"Hoho, everyone? Do ellborate."_

 _Matt. Abby. Beast. Chester. Fang and everyone in his flock. I want them protected, too._

 _"Hm…"_ it was silent for a moment and Crow felt the coldness of the water seep into her clothes.

Had it left? She had asked too much and the thing had left her to die. If only she had tried that sooner. When she had some strength left to at least attempt a break to the surface.

" _Very well. We accept. All those you love will forever be under our protection. Do we have a deal?"_

 _Yes. Deal._

" _Good. All we need you to do is simple. A minor task for the greater good."_

 _What is it?_

As she thought her question, a whoosh of air rushed into her body causing her entire being to gasp. She fell to her knees and clutched her chest. Air! Air! Finally! Salty air, but it was air!

Wait…how was she?

She stood up and looked around. It was dark all around her. No sign of the sun or any kind of light. When she moved her hand out in front of her, water rippled around her skin. She was still underwater?! But breathing?! How?!

The thing that had attacked her circled around in its misty form. It was all around her! Enclosing her!

"What are you?!" Crow shouted, relieved to finally be able to use her voice again.

 _"Worry not what I am. We will never meet again, Crow. Now, your task. It is simple and once complete will uphold our end of the bargain."_

"Protect everyone?" Crow asked, "You swear that if I do this thing, that they will never be hunted again or be hurt again?" It sounded too good to be true. But all the bad they had been through…there had to be some good for them. Right?

 _"Of course! We would never break a promise!"_

Crow closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Her lungs still ached from nearly collapsing. And she had some pretty big lungs thanks to her bird DNA.

Slowly, she raised her gaze back up to the nameless creature. Did she trust it? Not a bone in her body did. Did she really have a choice? She was sure if she declined then the thing would just let her drown. And the deal? Protect everyone? That's all she ever wanted. To just…be. To be with Matt and not have to worry about being shot in the head or captured and crammed into a cage again. And she wanted the same for everyone.

"What do I have to do?"

The thing wafted around until it took one someone elses form. Someone Crow knew. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Angel. The youngest member of Max's flock.

 _"Kill her."_ The voice said. _"Kill her and everyone you love will never no pain again."_

 _ **Fang's POV**_

When pounding on the solid ice became futile, Fang dove as deep as he could until he found the bottom of the lake. Having super expanded lungs turned out to be useful other than flying. He was no fish, but he figured he would be able to hold out a few minutes longer than an average human in this situation.

His biggest worry right now was the cold. This water was cold enough to freeze over. He may be able to hold his breath for a long time, but he had no control over his body temperature. Only time would tell when the hypothermia would start to set in.

Fang hit the muddy bottom of the lake and began searching frantically for any kind of rock or stick. All he could find was cold mud.

 _"Look at how this one reacts!"_

The voice! Now he was sure he wasn't just hearing things! It was definitely talking about him! Commenting on his actions. Definitely conscious beings. But where? It was so dark….

 _I wonder if this is how Iggy feels all the time….this sucks._

 _"Maybe he's too weak. Can't even break free from this."_

 _"You tricked him into it!"_

 _Who is it? Who's there?_

Fang somehow knew he was hearing the voices in his mind rather than physically. They had the same sort of sing-song echo that Angel's voice had when she was telepathically communicating. Plus, it's difficult to talk underwater so he didn't really have any other option.

 _"Hush now,"_ one of them said, _"Someone's here to rescue you."_

Before Fang could question these strange voices, the sound of ice cracking overhead filled the frozen water. Fang glanced up in time to see a gangly claw outstretched towards him. There had only been a few times in his life where he had seen claws reaching for him. When he was being hunted by Erasers. So of course, he panicked.

He struggled against the claw as it pulled him from the water and flung him into the snowy bank. It took him only a second to conjure up enough strength to get into a fighting stance.

"Hey man, chill," came an all too familiar voice, "I'm just savin' ya from drowning."

"Ari?" Fang looked past the shadows that had fallen amongst the trees. It was Ari. Eraser version Ari. Still…that didn't completely put Fang at ease.

"How did you know where I was?" Fang questioned him.

"I heard your thoughts."

A new voice, but still familiar.

Fang turned to see Angel perched up in one of the tree branches. She was bundled up tight. Half of her face concealed behind a thick, wool scarf. Good. The last thing he needed was Max scolding him for Angel getting sick.

"Now. What are you doing out here?" Ari turned the interrogation around. "Much less drowning. You know birds don't do so well with water. Unless you're half-penguin." He added that last part with a grin.

If Angel hadn't been present, Fang would have said some nasty words. But he kept himself in check.

"You don't get to question my actions, _dog_. Possessed or not, I still don't trust you and I never will. Thanks for the save, but stay out of my business, alright?" Fang hadn't realized how close he was getting to Ari as he talked. Now they were nose to nose. Er, snout to nose.

"Possessed or not, I still don't like you," Ari growled.

"Ditto," Fang replied.

"Stop it before I get Max!" Angel warned from her tree branch perch.

Both guys instantly stepped back at her warning and turned away from each other. Ari mumbled something under his breath. Fang wasn't quite sure what it was but he definitely heard the words "bird-brain". Right. Like that was original.

Fang looked up at Angel who was eerily staring down at him.

"Angel," before he forgot that they had company, Fang fluttered up to her tree branch and crouched next to her, "Um, you said you heard my thoughts right? When I was drowning."

She nodded. Her blonde curls bounced up and down as she did.

"Yeah. I thought I was having a bad dream at first, but I woke up and realized it was real. Sorry it took so long. Iggy was sound asleep and I didn't want to bother Max. Ari was the only one awake."

Fang sighed. He was slightly glad she hadn't gotten Max. She would have made a big ordeal out of the whole thing. She had other things to worry about than him right now.

"Did you…um, did you hear anyone else?" he felt stupid for asking, but those voices—they had been in his head. He was sure of it. and they responded when he called out with his thoughts.

Angel frowned up at him and then peered down into the once more frozen lake. Her frown only deepened as she did so. For such a young girl, she sure wore a lot of dark emotions on her face.

"I don't think so. I wasn't really trying to listen for anyone else. Why?" she looked back at him. Eyes wide. Not full of child-like wonder like a normal six year old. No. her eyes were scary. Full of wanting. Wanting to know.

Fang shook his head and rubbed at the goosebumps forming on the back of his clammy neck.

"It's nothing. I thought I saw someone. That's why I—"

"Nearly drowned yourself?" came Ari's unhelpful retort, "Who the hell would be out this deep in the woods? This late? Besides you."

Fang looked over his shoulder. Ari was hanging onto a nearby branch. Clearly struggling to hold on.

"What? I know how to climb trees," Ari sneered.

Fang rolled his eyes and looked away. Why they were letting him tag along was going to have to be a long conversation with Max.

"We should get back," Angel piped up, "We all need to sleep for our long flight tomorrow." She fluttered down as graceful as a butterfly. Barely making a dent in the snow.

Fang was graceful with his decent to the ground. He didn't land as lightly as she did, but that's because he was like three times her size. Ari however…fell with a magnificent thud into the thick snow. And like a cartoon, the snow from the tree above came tumbling down on top of him.

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" Ari assured as he dug his way out.

Fang sneered and turned away before anyone could see his snicker. He's pretty sure Angel heard it though. But she didn't say anything.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Fang asked Ari.

"As sure as I am that you're never really going to tell us just what you were doing in that lake," Ari replied tartfully.

Fang scowled at the back of his neck. He jumped a little when Angel slid her small hand into his.

 _"It'll be okay, Fang. He really is good now."_ She smiled up at him as she sent the message through her thoughts.

Fang returned a tight smile and then turned away from her. She may be able to read minds, but if he really was good now, why didn't she say that out loud?


	4. Chap 3 Confront

_**Hey guys! So sorry! I know I promised a set schedule but my work apparently doesn't believe in proper scheduling and keeping up with the days I request off. Whatever. That's adulting for ya. Anyway, here is the third chapter!**_

 _ **I haven't really been getting any reviews on this story, but if you have any questions or are really confused, I highly recommend reading the prequel to this story. It's called**_ _ **Maximum Ride's Brother**_ _ **and I promise everything will be clear once you read that story. It's already finished so you won't have to put up with my fluctuating schedule like with this story. I apologize again but I promise I will finish this story!**_

 _ **As always, please pm or review with questions you might have or any comments! Good, bad, whatever! I accept them all! I love a good critic. Gives me a challenge!**_

 _ **Please enjoy!**_

Chapter 3

 **Crow's POV**

The surface broke around Crow's head and before she knew it, she was breathing in the safety of someone's arms. Her vision was blurry from sudden sunlight. So she really had been that deep down in the water.

With that….thing.

Solid ground supported her backside. Someone was screaming at her. No. Multiple someone's were screaming at her. Begging for her to wake up. Respond. Something.

"I'm fine!" she meant it as a snap so they could all shut up, but she wasn't so sure it came out that way.

"What—Don't—Her—Rest—"

Those were the words Crow could hear through her clogged ears before everything went sideways again. Oh wait. No. it was just her going sideways. As she collapsed on the bank of whatever shore they had found.

And that's all she remembered.

 **Matt's POV**

"Beast, what the hell happened?" he didn't mean to come off vicious and cruel, but when the girl ya love is suddenly near the bottom of the ocean when she was flying right next to ya….kind of brings out the dark side.

Beast immediately put his hands up in surrender, "I told ya. I was chatting it up with some dolphins. Asking for directions. Suddenly they all panicked and dipped out. I couldn't figure out why. I thought maybe a shark or something. But then I turned and saw Crow being dragged down by this…this…well, to be honest, I'm not really sure what it was. It had a nasty grip on her though. Had to turn into a freaking crocodile just to pry her loose."

"And you scoffed me for being afraid of water," Chester snorted, "I told you mankind has explored the bloody moon rather than our own oceans! And yet you still insist on this trip! We could have been first class with a free movie and caviar."

"Were you planning on selling a kidney or something?" Beast sneered at him, "Although, I bet if we put you on a stand in a freak show everyone would come and see the Pain-In-The-Ass-Talking-Cat!"

Chester hissed and Beast stuck out his tongue. It took Abby separating the two for them to calm down.

Matt had ignored them the second they started arguing and was sitting by Crow's sleeping form. She was soaked through and through. Undoubtedly freezing. Yet, she was sleeping like a baby.

"Let's camp here for the night," Matt spoke up, cutting into Beast and Chester's war, "Abby, you have the spare clothes, right? Can you help Crow get changed into something dry? Beast, Chester; you two and I are going hunting. Let's move. Sunset is only in a couple hours."

"I'll get a fire going for us," Abby volunteered.

Fire? Hadn't that been a part of his orders?

Instead, of arguing, Matt nodded and then flew off into the dense jungle on this island. The island hadn't seemed very big from the sky and it was even less so in person. They were going to be eating small game mixed with some vegetation tonight.

"Dude, you're not talking." Beast's voice came out some sort of small, tropical bird. Bright in colors. Beautiful, but of course, hearing any animal speak English was a little offsetting.

"We're hunting," Matt whispered as he scanned the jungle floor for any sign of movement. "Supposed to be quiet."

"We both know I can turn into a jungle cat and have dinner in an hour. You're never quiet unless something's bothering you. Now spill. Or I tell Abby." Beast threatened Matt, but coming out of a tiny beak…it wasn't really that threatening.

"You and I both know you can't get Abby to do anything she doesn't want to do," Matt grumbled, "And there's nothing bothering me. Nothing that wasn't before."

Matt moved off of the tree he had perched on and landed heavily on the jungle floor. There didn't seem to be any sign of life. Except for the mosquitos that were attacking more ferociously than any Eraser.

"Oh, so just the Why-Is-My-Girlfriend-Invincible-To-A-Demon thing? Yeah, no. Totally healthy to keep bottled up inside yourself….

 _NOT_!"

Beast caught up to Matt. This time as a monkey. Swinging through the low branches to keep up with Matt's brisk walk.

"We thought dealing with power mad, whacko scientists were our worst problem. _The_ worst problem. And now there's demons and angels and possessing. Shit that none of us have no knowledge of. Dude. I feel even more lost than ever. And I'm not the one that is talking to darkness. Now…" Beast manifested directly in front of Matt as himself.

Matt was mostly muscle, but Beast had positioned himself just right to actually stop him. For a split second.

"Keeping shit to yourself suits Crow a lot better than it does you. So spill. We're too close for this, man!"

Matt stared long and hard into Beast's bright blue eyes. Eyes that are usually bright and full mischief. Now they were weighed down. Dreary. Dark circles framed his eyes to where he resembled a raccoon. Matt was sure his eyes looked the same. If not worse.

"You can talk to me, man." Beast reached up and placed a hand on Matt's shoulder.

Matt unleashed a deep breath he hadn't known he had been holding. Then he looked Beast in the eye and picked a spot underneath a nearby tree. Beast sat next to him and began picking at the grass on the ground. Never able to sit completely still.

"It's Crow," Matt began.

"Yeah," Beast said with a heavy breath, "Figured that much. What specifically?"

Matt grabbed his ankles and leaned forward to stretch out his back. He hadn't noticed how much it had been aching, but the stretch felt good.

"I dunno, man. I don't know what's going on with her. I mean, she's usually quiet and getting her to communicate is like plucking feathers. But this time…ever since that day at the School—haven't you noticed it?" Matt stared longingly at Beast. His big brown eyes even more wide. They always got huge like a begging Rottweiler whenever it concerned Crow.

Beast rubbed uncomfortably at the back of his neck. His feelings had long passed for Crow, but he knew exactly what Matt was talking about. They all lived together their whole lives! One starts to notice when their housemate is keeping things to themselves.

"Crow's always been hardheaded. Brooding is pretty much her only emotion. But she's strong, man. And this stuff…" Beast leaned back and shook his head. "We could barely handle mad-scientists playing God. But demons? Monsters? That's a whole other level, bro. One none of us were prepared for. I'm sure Crow is handling it in her own way. Like we all are."

"That's what I'm worried about," Matt said, "Her handling things is keeping it to herself. Trying to solve it herself. Very nearly getting herself killed. Power crazed lunatics was—is something I can handle. _Have been_ handling." Matt's head drooped and he shook it a little. Trying to clear the image of that monster from the valley out of his head. It was impossible. The image of that dark, oily beast was always going to be on the back of his eyelids whenever he closed his eyes. And he knew he wasn't the only one.

"I can't lose her, man," Matt looked back up at Beast. Eyes like a Rottweiler's…only…sadder. If it were possible. "I can't lose any of you. We're a family. My only family."

"And we're not going anywhere."

The two sat there. Under that tree. Not really saying much. Nothing at all really. Beast kept his hand on Matt's shoulder as Matt gazed up at the blue sky above. Beast gazed for a while, too. Then he got bored and began to doze off.

 **Fang's POV**

The rest of the flock were just beginning to wake up when he, Angel and Ari returned to the cabin. Fang met Max's questioning gaze as soon as he walked through the door. Her eyes lit up when she saw Ari walk in behind him.

Max didn't really ever have to say anything to get a message across. It was always in those light brown eyes of her. And they were on fire right now. Fang…he was in deep, deep shit.

"And where have you been?" Max cut right to it. Arms crossed directly over her chest. Eyes like laser beams.

Fang gulped. He wanted to tell her the truth. He didn't like to lie. Especially not to Max. But what was he supposed to tell her? He got dragged into a frozen lake…heard voices…Ari saved him. Yeah. Like that would go over well with Max.

"Went out for a flight," Fang replied numbly, "Loosening up for the big trip."

"So why are you all wet?" Nudge turned into interrogation mode. Standing side by side with Max. Always taking her side. Exact same pose and everything.

"It's this thing called snow," Fang sneered back at her. He could handle Max being all demanding. She was the leader. But Nudge. She was still a kid. With a whole lot to learn.

"Fang was helping me be able to make the trip," Angel piped up behind him.

She was taking his side? That's a first.

Max looked back and forth from Fang to Angel a couple times before landing on Ari.

"And your reason?" she asked him. Her tone sharper than it had been with Fang.

Ari snorted, "I'm a big boy. I don't need permission to go out for a walk."

Max glared at him for a moment longer. Then she sucked in a big breath of air and finally relaxed her arms. Her big, brown eyes moved back to Fang.

"Help me pack?" she asked him.

Fang nodded.

He followed her to the back of the cabin they had "rented". A total of three bedrooms. But most importantly, a working heating system and a fireplace. Winter sure was a nasty bitch up here in the mountains. He would be happier closer to the coast they got. He was sure Max would be happier too.

The brown leather jacket she had on had several tears. Nearly worn down to the very last thread. Her jeans were faded and looked like someone had put them through a shredder. Yet everyone else had brand new clothes from a store she had used the last of their pocket money to buy. Nudge even got a hat she thought was cute.

Max's curly, blonde hair bounced along her backside as she walked. Swishing in sync with the sway of her hips. Matching every step. Her character never showed weakness no matter how many circles under her eyes. How many bruises. How many scrapes. How many sprains. She was always strong.

"Let's get the kids things first." Max opened the door to one of the bedrooms. The one Gazzy and Iggy had occupied. Multiple miscellaneous items littered the floor. The sheets to the queen sized bed were thrown all over the place.

"Seriously, we were only here for one night," Max mumbled under her breath and proceeded to sigh into her hand.

Fang placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned. It was quick, but he caught it. Sneaky was more his game than hers. She was in his arms faster than either of them could blink. Her face buried in his chest. Her breath shaking as badly as she was.

Fang clung to her warmth. He was freezing after all! Thankfully not soaking wet anymore. He wasn't sure how much of her firey eyes he could handle at the moment.

"Everything okay?" he asked her. Keeping his voice down. Everyone else were only in the next room. And they had left the door wide open.

Max's forehead rubbed against his chest as she nodded. She sighed as she leaned back and looked up at him.

"Yeah…yeah," she stepped back, rubbing at her face. She turned away from him and just stood there. Staring into nothing. Thinking. "It's just that…I don't know. Monsters? Darkness? Angels? I thought we had it bad when we were just dealing with The School."

Max sauntered over and collapsed on the edge of the bed. Her hands on her knees as she stared at the floor.

Fang went around and sat on the other side. Sliding an arm around her shoulders and brining her into him. She smelt like burnt wood. She had been the one to light the fire. That's probably why she was so warm!

"It's weird, isn't it?" he said.

She let out a half-hearted chuckle. "That's the understatement of a lifetime." She went quiet again. Staring at the floor. Her head resting on the inside of his shoulder. Quiet.

Fang peeked over her head at the empty hallway. Good. They were all still out in the living room. Curled around the fire.

So Fang planted a big wet, sloppy kiss on Max's head. She looked up at him in surprise.

"What was that for?" she asked, her hand searching for the spot on her head he had kissed. That frantic and shocked look on her face. A sudden change from the worried expression she had seconds before.

It made Fang smile and pull her in closer. Placing his chin on top of her head. Closing his eyes. Breathing her in. Max. His Max.

"The expression you make is cute," Fang sneered, earning him a playful jab to his side. He laughed as she struggled away and glared at him. Her cheeks were too flustered and blushed for her to be really angry.

"Y-You go get a shower!" she stammered, "You smell like crap!" then she bolted from the room only to shout at Iggy and Gazzy for leaving such a mess.

Fang continued smiling to himself as he meandered down the hall and into the bathroom. A hot shower sounded wonderful. As did some fresh clothes.

He grabbed a black T-shirt and some jeans from his backpack. He took note of the new jacket and socks. Still in their wrapping. He took them both out and sighed.

She was never going to put herself first, was she?

 _"You take care of her…or I'll kill you myself, understand?"_

Matt—Max's older brother—his threat echoed into Fang's mind. More intimidating than the voices he had heard in the pond. He had only known the guy for a couple weeks. But he was definitely Max's brother. That in itself was something to be scared of.

"Are you gonna sulk in here all day or actually use the bathroom? You ain't the only in this house."

Fang turned to meet Ari. Leaning against the door frame like this was his house or something. Completely comfortable. It pissed Fang the hell off.

Fang cleared the small amount of space between them in less than a second. The Eraser DNA embedded into Ari's DNA surely had given him the muscle and height Fang lacked, but Fang knew when someone as afraid. It was the way their eyes dilated ever so slightly. Just as Ari's did.

"Let me make myself clear, _dog_. Make one wrong move and I will make sure that the School will seem like heaven to you. Got me?" Fang kept his voice low, but strong.

Demon or not. Ari was an egotistical son of a bitch and the source of nearly all of their problems up till now. Taking Angel. Screwing with Max. And the endless taunting while they had been behind cages and he got to roam around. Free.

Ari remained completely still. Staring right into Fang's eyes.

"I get that you don't like me," Ari said calmly, "And frankly I don't give two shits what you think. Last I heard, you were only second-in-command."

Ari's toothy grin made Fang's hands clenched into tight fists. Landing a punch would be so easy. So swift. So deserved.

"Ari! Come help us pack!" Max's call of command rang from the opposite side of the cabin,

Both boys looked in the direction of her call and then back at each other.

"Go on," Fang motioned with a sway of his head, "Your master's calling you."

Ari smacked his lips and pushed himself off of the door frame.

"Take a shower," he said over his shoulder, "Ya smell like fish piss."

"I do not!" Fang snapped at Ari's back. But as soon as his bulky figure disappeared from sight, Fang took a whiff of the shirt he had on and recoiled in disgust. "What the hell do fish eat to smell this bad?" he wondered to himself.


End file.
